A sudden gust of wind swept across the wilderness, lifting up large areas of sand and rocks and falling leaves, and also lifting up a corner of the thick tarpaulin covering the heavy truck. A driver came forward to pull the loose rope and tied the lifted tarpaulin back to the side of the truck. At the same time, he raised his head to look at the clear and vast sky.

The sky is clear and there is nothing to see except for some sparse clouds.

"Strange wind..." The driver muttered, confused by the inexplicable palpitations at that moment.

The loud voice of the transport captain came from afar: "Car No. 3!"

The driver shook his head, threw some stories about the winter monster and the plain monster out of his mind, and responded with the same loud voice: "Car No. 3 is ready! Boss!"

"Car No. 4!" "Car No. 4 is ready!" "Car No. 5..."

The mechanics responsible for driving the vehicle got into the high driving seat on the front of the vehicle and got on the bus with the driver and the co-pilot one after another. The buzzing sound of the charging of the power ridge brought a reassuring feeling, and the voice of the convoy commander came from outside: "Everyone check the status of your vehicle. This distance is not short, and the Holy Spirit Plain is cold and frozen!

“The shipping on the Gorgon River has stopped, and we are the only transportation line in this winter—

"Set out! The compatriots on the plains are still waiting for these foods and medicines!"

The magic engine made a low sound, and the gears and levers rotated and rubbed under the power of machinery. Heavy large magic cars gradually accelerated. In the vast wilderness of winter, artificial steel monsters roared, full of materials urgently needed for the reconstruction area of ​​the Holy Spirit Plain. They painted black trajectories on a vast land, and the trajectories pointed far to the north...

In the plain area, the Gorgon River, the dry water period has arrived as scheduled. The drop in the river water level makes navigation of large ships difficult and dangerous. As the managers of various sections of the river issued a warning, the shipping on the Gorgon River, which had been busy for more than half a year, finally stopped.

In the past, this meant that all those who make a living on the river would enter "door" like farmers on the plains. Except for a few bold people, everyone would obediently return to the shed by the river, snuggle up with their families, ignite up the warm fire, rely on the stored food, and wait quietly for the end of winter. This is true for ordinary sailors, and the bosses who own ships.

But the situation this year is slightly different from previous years.

A team called the "United Reconstruction Team" came from the Rock Fortress to the plains. The team built large and small camps on the scorched earth East Holy Spirit Plain and began a vigorous reconstruction work. They shouted the slogan "Regain the Land from the Jackals and Winter", with some incomprehensible enthusiasm, trying to rejuvenate the land.

The winter, where there was nothing to do, suddenly became lively.

Boatman Du Lin took his two sons to jump off the raft. The workers waiting on the shore immediately stepped forward and cooperated skillfully to drag the raft with hooks and ropes. He dragged it to the shore. More people rushed up, untied the rope that tied the raft, dragged the logs that formed the raft to the shore, and prepared to take them to the camp not far away.

The Baishui River has been closed, but the river channel is not completely frozen. Although large ships can no longer sail, small rafts and ships can still sail on shallower water. As a local who seeks life on the Gorgon River, Dulin accepted the employment of the United Reconstruction Team. His mission is to help transport the wood cut down from the upstream to the camp area downstream - using the ancestral rafting skills, as well as the courage and experience that has been tempered by long-term begging for food between these reefs.

The man who had been floating on the Gorgon River for half his life stretched his neck and watched those dressed in gray-blue winter clothes busy between the shallows and the shore highlands. In this cold winter, on this day that is not suitable for work.

He was a little unable to understand the scene before him because this thing had never happened in the past.

He did not intend to get involved in these people's affairs too much, because he was an honest and honest "river citizen", and those who came out of the Rock Fortress carried royal flags and army escorted them.

But he would still stretch his neck and spend a long time looking at the southerners who seemed not afraid of the cold, as well as those mixed with the southerners, who were said to be locals who originally lived in the eastern part of the Holy Spirit Plain.

It is said that the locals escaped by chance when they were fighting before and had been hiding in cities and towns in the south. Now they are back with the southerners and intend to rebuild their homes.

Dulin did not see the faces he knew from those "locals" - those people are probably dead.

Dulin looked at the shoals and the river bank, because he was a little envious of the thick winter clothes of those people and the fragrance of the wafting when they made fires on the river bank - those winter clothes were not patched, obviously all new clothes, and occasionally the meat smell came from when they cooked - they had meat every week.

In this winter, Dulin's life was actually much better than in previous years. He originally planned to spend a difficult winter because of that terrible war, because of those terrible monsters, the fertile fields on the east bank were destroyed, the villages and towns were also destroyed, the nobles died, ran away, and the merchants also fled in all directions. The "river people" who relied on transporting goods for the nobles and merchants to make a living were cut off from half of their source of life. Everyone thought that the days ahead would be particularly difficult, but unexpectedly, the southerners brought their rumbling machines back to this land that they burned.

The United Reconstruction Team brought unexpected job opportunities, or, in other words, opportunities to survive the winter of the river workers, sailors and captains on the Gorgon River.

Dulin was very grateful for the generosity of these outsiders and was quite willing to exchange his skills and experience for the whole family for winter rations, but... he still envied the brand new and neat winter clothes and the meat stewed in the big pot on the river bank.

A tall and thin man in a gray-blue cotton robe walked past and stopped in front of Dulin: "Citizen--to-day share is completed, you can go to the camp to get wages at any time."

This is a "government department official" from the southern border. His special armband and the emblem on the chest of his clothes show his identity.

Du Lin woke up from his distraction and quickly lowered his head in front of the "big man": "Okay, sir, I'll go soon..."

The government affairs department official wearing an armband laughed: "To be honest, you really don't consider registering? We are short of people in the north, and we are recruiting experienced river workers there. If you join the reconstruction team, you can go to the camp in the north to help."

Du Lin immediately smiled humbly: "I... forget it, I have a wife and children at home... my little daughter is only over three years old..."

"Actually you can take your family here... but it doesn't matter. Everything depends on your own voluntary action. Just come to me at any time when you want to sign up."

Du Lin nodded quickly: "Yes, sir, thank you very much."

When meeting officials of the Government Affairs Department, they should call the other party a gentleman/m. rather than an adult or a master. This is the code Du Lin learned after dealing with these people who call themselves "grassroots officials of the United Reconstruction Group". Although he didn't know why some people would not like more noble names, since the other party asked so, he obeyed with all his heart.

"You're welcome," the young government affairs official waved his hand. "It's getting late. Go back after you get your wages - be careful on the way, citizen."

"Yes, sir."

Dulin and his two sons turned around and walked away quickly. The tall and thin government affairs officer watched the three people leave and shook his head with a smile.

A young man in black winter clothes walked past the neighborhood, stopped behind the government affairs official, and said casually: "Actually, you don't have to call them citizens - they don't understand it first, and second, the roster of residents in this area has not been reorganized yet, and the word 'citizen' is still some distance away from them."

"I like the word 'citizen', I like to say and listen," said the government official, and glanced at the young man in black winter clothes. "Is Minister Norris still outside?"

"Yes, he is checking the soil in the north."

"...We were unable to produce enough arable land before the freezing, and everything could only be made up for the next spring. Everyone had a sense of urgency, but Minister Norris's body was no longer healthy after all," sighed the young government affairs official, "It would be great if the snow this winter could be postponed for a week..."

"Yes..." The young man in black winter clothes frowned and looked to the north of the camp with a slightly worried look.

The flags of the Cecil Empire were flying in the cold wind, and the temporary wooden walls of the camp were painted with huge letters with eye-catching paint - "Regain the land from jackals and winter". The craftsmen and the villagers were busy in an orderly manner. They were strengthening the windbreak walls and wooden houses of the camp, and preparing a warehouse for the coming new materials. The soldiers patrolled vigilantly around the camp, guarding against hungry beasts and possible existences in the wilderness, and escaped the purifying and sweeping monsters. The Minister of Agriculture Norris and his assistants stood on the high ground near the northern gate, staring at the large frozen land.

In winter, snowfall and freezing.

Humans use their flesh and blood to trek, rebuild and cultivate this scorched earth. However, the power of nature will not be merciless because of human courage and hard work. It runs more cruelly than machines, raining and snowing according to the law, and freezing the land according to the law, neither delaying nor forgiveness.

"The land reclaimed in this area is less than 30% of the planned... The winter in the Holy Spirit Plain is half a month longer than in the southern border, and more than half of the reserved fields will definitely miss the spring plowing of the spring next spring," Norris said in a low voice. "We are consuming the food we have finally raised in the west..."

"But at least several camps have become tenable, and temporary roads have been built," said an assistant, "as long as these camps have become tenable in winter, we can open up land immediately as soon as they thaw next spring, and at most we will miss a season of food..."

Norris sighed: "Everything can only be done in the good direction...ahhehe..."

He coughed violently.

The airflow flowed through his trachea, tearing the lungs damaged by typhoid Chen Ji in his early years. He felt that the cold air seemed to pour into his internal organs, melting the little energy left in the body bit by bit. However, before the violent cough caused an imbalance, the two pairs of young people's hands stretched out from the side in time to support the shaking Minister of Agriculture.

"Minister," a young official shouted nervously, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Norris finally calmed down. He reached into his arms, took out a small metal potion bottle, unscrewed the lid, took a sip of the slightly bitter potion inside. The warm feeling spread in his body, giving him a little more energy. "Alas, after all, he is old, and the cold wind in the Holy Spirit Plain is not very friendly to me."

Pittmann's special rejuvenation potion supplemented Norris' physical strength, but he could still feel his internal organs steadily declining - alchemy potion and druid spells may make an old man feel better, but the deep damage caused by aging is not something that human power can reverse.

He packed up about half a bottle of potion left, looked at the young faces around him who showed concern, nervousness and concern, and couldn't help laughing.

"Go back."

Norris shook away his two hands, holding him, turned to the direction of the camp, took a step forward, and slowly walked forward.

He walked into the camp and walked towards his barracks.

Those who are committed to rebuilding their homes are busy on both sides of the road.

Magic technicians from the southern realm are debugging a magical obelisk, and the magic-filled crystal device is slowly rotating in the cold wind.

Craftsmen are measuring the foundation on an open space and preparing for the construction of the warehouse.

Several civilians were working together to cut off a huge piece of wood. The man holding the saw tightly looked familiar... He was a refugee who had been helped by the investigation team, and his most precious property was a small trolley full of rags.

Not far away, his wife stirred the food in a large pot with a long-handled spoon, and greeted the men with a bright voice to prepare to finish work and prepare to start meals.

The "precious" cart was there too. It was not discarded, but parked in the open space next to it, filled with potatoes and radishes pulled out of the warehouse.

Norris recalled that he had a cart that looked similar in the past - he pushed it all the way from Old Cecil to the Dark Mountains.

The cart was burned as firewood in the winter of the first year, and the land next to the dark mountains has now become an amazing place.

Norris's hunched back straightened slightly.

His work hasn't been done yet.
Chapter completed!